The Detroit Red Wings' Jimmy Howard is refining his technique, working on fundamentals and establishing a relationship with new goaltending coach Jeff Salajko in training camp and the preseason.

He is seeing positive results so far.

"Working with (Salajko), being a lot more composed, a lot more patient in the net," Howard said following Friday's 2-1 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins in a preseason game at Joe Louis Arena. "I'm starting to see some dividends of working on it. Basically not rushing all the shots, making sure you got your feet set under you.

"Just learning what he expects from me. Working with Jimmy Bedard for 12 years was great. Now we got a new guy in here and you got to learn his tendencies as well."

The Detroit Pistons are in serious talks to build a 60,000-square-foot practice facility north of Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit if a deal is worked out to relocate the National Basketball Association team from its Auburn Hills home to downtown, sources familiar with the talks have told Crain's.

Details such as specific location, time frame and cost are yet to be determined.

Pistons owner Tom Gores and his aides have been in talks for some time with the Ilitch family, owners of the Detroit Red Wings and financiers of much of the $627.5 million Little Caesars Arena that's scheduled to open on 12 acres at Woodward Avenue and I-75 in September 2017. Those talks have accelerated since Gores hired longtime sports agent Arn Tellem to act as his point man for new business, civic and philanthropic investments in Detroit and Michigan last year.

Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill liked what he saw from defenseman Filip Hronek during the organization's summer development camp.

Blashill is anxious to see how the 18-year-old fares against another team in a game situation tonight when he makes his preseason debut vs. the Boston Bruins at Joe Louis Arena (7:30, Fox Sports Plus, WWJ-AM 950).

The Red Wings selected Hronek (6-0, 164) with the 53rd pick in this year's entry draft.

"I thought he had a real ability to move the puck when I saw him in the summer (development camp)," Blashill said. "He seemed to be able to handle forecheck. I think that's the hardest thing in today's game, to handle how hard everyone is forechecking. So you have to be able to manage that puck and he did a good job of it this summer.

Lakeview Arena in Marquette, Michigan, was named winner of Kraft Hockeyville USA 2016 in April, but because of a bad internet connection, it almost didn't happen.

Dr. Frederick Hoenke, who submitted the winning essay, almost didn't send it a second time after his first attempt accidentally was deleted.

"I voted for the rink, not knowing what exactly it was, and then it said 'Why your rink should win,' so I pounded out a quick little entry and hit send and it deleted," Hoenke said. "A few hours later, I got back to my office and something in the back of my head was bothering me, so I said, 'I'll try one more time.' I tried to remember from memory what I said, did it quickly and hit send. I still really didn't know what I had entered."

Marquette and Lakeview Arena finished ahead of more than 1,000 communities, including runner-up Rushmore Thunderdome in Rapid City, South Dakota. A total of $335,000 was awarded to the top 10 finishers, including $150,000 to Marquette, which also will get to host a nationally televised preseason game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN)....

"I had never heard of [Kraft Hockeyville] before," Hoenke said. "I didn't even know what it was when I applied for it. Our hockey association sent a request to all the parents, 'Will you vote for this thing?' I said 'OK, fine.' I can click a button and vote for this thing like anyone else can."

For a team that has struggled to score, seeing the puck go in is a good visual no matter what time of the season.

The Wings are 2-0 headed into Friday’s exhibition game against Boston on the strength of a combined nine goals scored by eight different players. Even with the caveat that exhibition lineups don’t reflect NHL lineups, it’s beneficial that, for example, the expected fourth line of Steve Ott, Drew Miller and Luke Glendening had three goals in Wednesday’s 5-1 victory at Boston.

“When people score they gain confidence,” Wings coach Jeff Blashil said Thursday. “Glennie, Millsie, Otter all had a goal – that’s a confidence thing. I think as a hockey team it’s a confidence thing.

“We know it's not the NHL right now. But when pucks go in, you gain confidence and we’ll take it.”

About The Malik Report

The Malik Report is a destination for all things Red Wings-related. I offer biased, perhaps unprofessional-at-times and verbose coverage of my favorite team, their prospects and developmental affiliates. I've joined the Kukla's Korner family with five years of blogging under my belt, and I hope you'll find almost everything you need to follow your Red Wings at a place where all opinions are created equal and we're all friends, talking about hockey and the team we love to follow.